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Why Is Homeland Security Buying 450 Million Rounds of Hollow Point Bullets?

Mar. 30, 2012 5:46pm Tiffany Gabbay

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has awarded defense contractor ATK with an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement for .40 caliber hollow point ammunition. According to an official ATK press release, U.S. agents will receive a maximum of 450 million rounds over a five-year period.

The following is an excerpt from the press release:

ATK announced that it is being awarded an Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) agreement from the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (DHS, ICE) for .40 caliber ammunition. This contract features a base of 12 months, includes four option years, and will have a maximum volume of 450 million rounds.

ATK was the incumbent and won the contract with its HST bullet, which has proven itself in the field. [...]

“We are proud to extend our track record as the prime supplier of .40 caliber duty ammunition for DHS, ICE,” said Ron Johnson, President of ATK’s Security and Sporting group.

The hollow point, of course, features a pitted or hollow tip intended to expand upon entering its target. ATK says its ammunition is “engineered for 100-percent weight retention, limits collateral damage, and avoids over-penetration” — all hallmarks of the hollow point.

This is not the first time DHS has placed such an order, however. In 2009, it signed a contract with Winchester for the procurement of 200 million hollow points.

The order may seem unusually high, but gun experts I talked to said it is not necessarily unusual and simply reflects a long-running practice by DHS and law enforcement agencies to use any remaining budget surplus on items routinely used and that would not be called into question. The idea being that if an agency does not use its entire budget in expenditures, the government will lower its budget the following year.

On the other hand, the decreased retail availability for hollow points does drive up demand, and hence price for such ammunition. Whether the consequence is an intended one, remains to be seen.

So is this a calculated move by the government to curb ammunition availability to civilians or is it simply another way for it to spend money? Weigh in with your thoughts below.

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Comments (326)

heidihoneighbor
Posted on March 3, 2013 at 5:28am
Yea, it is a calculated move on our gov. Part.

The question is now, what are the manufactures going to do about it? And are oir politicians going to allow the citezens to continue being taken advantage of?

Sounds like these companies do not care about the people.

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Radpat12
Posted on September 1, 2012 at 8:31am
The Social Security Administration is also buying a lot of ammo. Got a letter from Rand Paul saying 175,000 rounds… and yes hollow points. A month or so ago I read the Air Force Instruction on what to do with the information they will get from Drones over US soil. Just saying. I think they know that we are going over a fiscal cliff or at least they are preparing for it and when we do there will be widespread chaos. In any event with the total disregard for our Constitution already evident by allowing the Sotoro usurpation of the White House to go on for almost 4 years now a government buying ammo for non military reasons is not a good thing.

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juniper66
Posted on August 19, 2012 at 12:33am
a friend of my daughter’s said that the retired police officer that taught his conceal carry class, said that HLS wants all that ammo within 60 days from now. what’s happening in about 80 days? think about it.. we have a totalitarian minded president. not good.

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RedPepper2
Posted on August 16, 2012 at 2:14pm
This is how crazy things get! A few years ago the liberal folks were attacking anyone purchasing hollow point bullets or as they called the bullets (police killing bullets). They insisted hollow point bullets be banned because of their intended purpose of killing that which was struck by same. In the real world if anyone shoots at another person in fear of their life, does the shooter want to cripple, hurt or make mad this attacker or does the victim or shooter want to totally do the threat in? Yes, if your going to carry a firearm for self protection you will put hollow point bullets in that weapon. End of story.

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KissMyAmericanFlag
Posted on August 16, 2012 at 1:18pm
The ‘use it or lose it’ explanation makes sense RE budget dollar$, but the waste of taxpayer monies is criminal.

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RamonPreston
Posted on August 15, 2012 at 8:53pm
450 million rounds and 300 million people. Just in case they miss the first time.

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